Rocker arm refacer



June 30, 1953 V. L. HELM ROCKER ARM REFACER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1951 INVENTOR.

5 Www R w w mm Patented `me 30, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to refacing apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for the refacing of rocker arms.

Among the objects are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved apparatus for the refacing of rocker arms;

(2) To provide a novel and improved rocker arm refacer capable of use in refacing rocker arms without removal of such arms from the rocker arm shaft;

(3) To provide a novel and improved rocker arm refacer which is of light weight and readily portable;

i) To provide a novel and improved rocker arm refacer adaptable for the refacing of rocker arms intact and regardless of the number or size on a given shaft To provide a novel and improvedrocker arm reiacer of simple Construction and one which may be utilizecl eiciently without the exercise of great skill.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanyng drawings wherein Figure l is a plan View of the rocker arm reiacer of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a View in elevation, partly in section taken in the plane 2-2 oi Figure l;

Figure 3 is a plan view corresponding to that of Figure 1 but showing a rocker arm assembly installed for refacing Figure 4 is a View taken in the plane 4-4 of Figure 3 and depicting the apparatus in use;

Figure 5 is a View in section through the grinding means illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings for details oi' my invention in its preferred form, the same comprises a base l of preferably rectangular form and of a length substantially greater than its width, and on this base are provided means for clamping a rocker arm shaft 3 with all the rocker arms t intact, in spaced relationship to the base. such means, in the form illustrated, includes a plurality of clamps 'I disposed at spaced aligned locations along the base, each of the clamps including an L-shaped support 9 having a base portion ll in slidable connection With the base, and a portion !3 normal thereto. This normal portion is iormed with a V-notch !5 in its upper edge to provide a cradle for receiving the shaft of a rocker arm assembly to be clamped therein,

An arcuate bracket I l is pivotally affixed at one end, to the normal portion [3 of such support, and at its other end, is provided with a threaded passage into which is threadedly assembled a clamping screw a.

Strict alignment of the clamps is assured by a rib and groove mounting as by forming in of the present invention the upper surface of the base a longitudinal groove 2! and providing each of the clampsupporting elements with a rib 23 in mesh with such groove. To maintain such clamps fixed as to position when in use, each has a slot 25 in its .base portion to receive a machine screw 27 which threadedly engages the base l and provides for limited adjustment of each of the clamps along the base within the limits permitted by the length of each slot.

Slidably movable along the base in a path paralleling the aligned clamps is a grinding means 29 for individually refacing each of the rocker arms which may be disposed adjacent such path.

such grinding means involves a slide bar 3! slidably aifixed to the base by means of a dovetailed rib and groove connection involving a base rib 33 paralleling the aligned clamps and a complementary groove longitudinally of the slide bar.

Extending rigidly upward from said slide bar is a stern 35 to slidably receive a sleeve 31. such sleeve at its lower end is of reduced diameter and threaded for the horizontal mounting of a grinding wheel 39 which is clamped in position by a nut M threaded to said sleeve. Between the slide bar and such nut is inserted a coil compression spring 43. A Washer 45 may be installed to advantage between the grinding wheel clamping nut and the coil spring.

While many ways are available for realizing rotation of the grinding wheel, in the preferred form as illustrated, I prefer to include a noncircular recess 41 in the upper end of the sleeve which is adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped element l rotatably driven by some tool such as a conventional-type portable electric drill 51.

In utilizing the refacer of the present invention for its intended purpose, the rocker arm shaft with the rocker arms intact thereon, is locked in the clamps, the clamping components of which are forced in between convolutions of the coil springs which normally maintain separation of the rocker arms on such shaft, so as to permit direct engagement of the shaft by such components. With the rocker arm assembly thus installed, the grinding means is shifted to a position opposite one of the rocker arms and, with the grinding wheel in rotation, the sleeve is reciprocated slowly on its stern through the combined action of pressure applied to the driving tool 5! and the restoring force of the spring 43, while finger pressure is constantly applied to the other end of the rocker arm to maintain the surface to be treated in constant contact with the surface of the grinding wheel. such operation causes the grinding wheel to travel from one edge of the surface to be treated to the other edge along an arc to provide an accurate finish in the refacing of the rocker arm. The remaining 3 rocker arms are similarly treated until the entire assembly has been refaced.

To better accommodate the refacer to handle a wider range of rocker arm sizes, I prefer to mount the stem 35 in ofiset relationship to the longitudinal axis of the slide bar, the longitudinal axis being the central axis lengthwise of the bar. Thus the distance of the stem from the clamps may be altered by merely reversing the slide bar, and thereby increasing its range of utility.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of my invention that the same fullls all the objects of the invention attributable thereto, and while I have illustrated and described my invention in its preferred form, the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved, and I accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection to the details so illustrated and described, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A rooker arm refacer comprising a base; means for clamping a rocker arm shaft with rocker arms intact, in spaced relationship to said base, said means including a plurality of clamps dis osed at spaced aligned locations along said base, each including an L-shaped support having a portion in slidable contact with said base and a portion normal thereto, said slidable contact portion having a slot therein and said normal portion being provided with a V-notch in its upper edge to receive a shaft tobe clamped, a bracket aiiixed at one end to the normal porticn oi said support and at its other end having a threaded passage into which is threadedly assembled a clamping screw, and a machine screw passing through the support slot and threadedly eng-aging said base to fix said clamp in any adjustable position within the range of said slot; means for refacing each of such rocker arms, said refacing means comprising a grinding wheel movable along a path paralleling said aligned aainps, means for reciprocating said grinding wheel while a rocker arm is held in contact therewith; and means for applying a rotational fcrce tc said grinding wheel.

2. A rocker arm refacer comprising a base; means for clamping a rocker arm shaft with rccker arms intact, in spaced relationship to said base, said means including a plurality of clamps dispcsed at spaced alignecl locations along said base; means for individually refacing each of such rocker arms, said refacing means comprising a slide bar in slidable connection With said base along a path paralleling said aligned clamps, a stern extending upwardly from said slide bar in ofset relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis of said slide bar, a slceve slidably mounted over said stern and having means at its lower end for mounting a grinding wheel in horizontal position, and spring means interposed between said slide bar and sleeve; and means for applying a rotational force to said sleeve, said means including a non-circular recess in the upper end of said sleeve.

3. A rocker arm refacer comprising a base; means for clamping a rocker arm shaft with roc er arms intact; in spaced relationship to said base, said means including a plurality of clamps disposed at spaced aligned locations alongsaid base, each including an L-shaped support having a portion in slidable contact with said base and a portion normal thereto, said slidable contact portion having a slot therein and said normal portion being provided with a V-notch in its upper edge to receive a shaft to be clamped, an arcuate bracket pivoted at one end to the normal portion of said support and at its other end having a threaded passage into which is threadedly assembleol a clamping screw, and a machine screw passing through the support slot and threadedly engaging said base to fix said clamp in any adjudstable position within the range of. said slot; means for refacing each of such rocker arms, said reiacing means comprising a slide bar in slidable connection with said base along a path paralleling said aligned clamps, a stem extending up wardly from said slide bar in offset relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis of said slide bar, a sleeve slidably mounted over said stem and having means at its lower end for mounting of a grinding 'wheel in horizontal position, and spring means interposed between said slide bar and sleeve; and means for app-lying a rotational force to said sleeve.

4. A rocker arm refacer comprising a base; means for clamping a rocker arm shaft with rocker arms intact, in spaced relationship to said base, said means including a plurality of clamps disp osed at spaced aligned locations along said base, each including an L-shaped support hav=- ing a portion in slidable contact with said base and a portion normal thereto, said slidable contact portion having a slot therein and said normal portion being provided with a V-notch in its upper edge to receive a shaft to be clamped, an arcuats bracket pivoted at one end to the normal portion of said support and at its other end having a threaded passage into which is threadedly assembled a clamping screw, and a machine screw passin through the support slot and threadedly engaging said base to fix said clamp in any adjust-able position within the range of said slot; means for individually refacing each of such roclier said refacing means comprising a slide bar in slidable connection with said base along a path paralleling said aligned clamps, a stem extending upwardly from said slide bar in offset relationship with respect to the lcngitudinal axis of said slide bar, a sleeve slidably mounted over said stem and having means at its lower end in the form of a reduced threaded end for mounting of a grinding wheel in horizontal position and including a nut for application to said threaded end to clamp such grinding wheel in position, and spring means interposed between said slide bar and clamping nut; and means for applying a rotational force to said sleeve, said means inciuding a non-circular recess in the upper end of said sleeve.

VERNON L. HELM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number V Name Date 1354558 Olmsted Apr. 19, 1932 2,l82,191 Albertson Dec. 5, 1939 2,354,l84 Daniel July 25, 1944 2,419,179 Swindle Apr. 5, 1947 2,i46,787 Reetz Aug. 10, 1948 

